Zip code software used for Kentucky school bus routes

Parents in Madison County in Kentucky have the option of using zip code software to find out which school bus routes their children should be using.

Details of all the bus routes in the county have been inputted to the Madison board of education's computer system at a cost of nearly $20,000, reports the Richmond Register.

Parents can now type in a range of information, including the name of their child's school, their home address or just their zip code at www.madison.kyschools.us and the database will automatically let them know the best bus routes available.

Skip Benton, Madison County schools transportation director, told the paper: "It took me a year to get the routes into the computer. I hope that parents will find it beneficial and they won't have to wait for anyone to answer the phone."

In other news, zip code software has been used by the Los Angeles Times to help Californians find nearby farmers' markets more easily.